Leo's Oyster Bar's Transportive Menus Evoke 1950s-Era Excess

Stepping into Leo's Oyster Bar, opening this Thursday, January 28, is a transportive experience. Ferns hang from the ceiling, the bar glows gold and mother-of-pearl chandeliers light the space, and the menus are reflective of that. Which is exactly what Big Night Restaurant Group (Park Tavern, The Cavalier, Marlowe) intended. Wife-and-husband owners Anna Weinberg and James Nicholas modeled the concept after "great cocktail and oyster bars of the golden era," and Big Night executive chef and partner Jennifer Puccio's menus match. Besides the typical raw bar fare like oysters, clams, crab, shrimp and lobster, the dinner menu is full of caviar, crudo, uni and decadence, which you can see in full below.

Garden Party cocktail

Drinks have a lighter hand — "I'm a little bit over bourbon and very American; we've got that," Weinberg told Eater. "I'm ready for refreshing drinks and not so crazy complicated. Just delicious and drinkable." — like the Garden Party, made with gin, egg white and fresh herbs. Back to that 1950s vibe, the Mr. Nicholas' Liquid Lunch is a classic vodka or gin martini served with "lunch," AKA pickled vegetables, on the side. There are champagnes, wine and beer, and when the back champagne room opens in February, the vintage champagne list will grow. The drinks menu is in full below. Leo's Oyster Bar opens Thursday, January 28; stay tuned for look inside the space.

Leo's Dinner Menu

Leo's Drink Menu